Anode-free batteries, a new technology for improved battery life

Following the promise of improved battery life for our smartphones, a promise that has been circulating for years through the development of "silicon carbon" technology to replace current lithium-ion batteries, new processes are under development, the most recent coming from Korean researchers working for Volkswagen. A new generation of anode-free batteries to boost energy density. These anode-free models, as their name suggests, lack an anode, an element that is currently essential for battery operation. Without going into technical details, the anode is replaced here by a "current collector," a thin sheet of metal that acts as a virtual anode: it takes on the role of the anode when it charges with current, then "disappears" when it discharges. As a result, it is possible to accumulate more current, without the physical limitation of a material anode, and therefore to increase the battery's capacity. The first prototypes thus achieved an energy density of 1,270 Wh/L, whereas lithium-ion batteries are around 700. A simpler but still imperfect process, with commercialization possible within five years. Furthermore, the manufacturing process for such a battery is simplified, since the lithium anode is eliminated from the circuit, resulting in lower production costs and smaller batteries. However, the system for creating/destroying the anode with each charge cycle remains imperfect, reducing its capacity and damaging the entire assembly over time. The development of the technology is still in its early stages, however, and experts, chemists, and materials specialists are confident in its improvement, estimating that it could be commercially available within five years at best.